The Holy Heart Sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom
(Arya Bhagavati Prajnaparamita Hrdaya Sutram)
From: FPMT- Osel
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[Context]
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Thus have I heard. At one time The Lord was staying at Rajagriha on Vulture Peak Mountain together with a great host of monks and a great host of Bodhisattvas.
At that time, the Lord was composed in the concentration on the course of Dharmas called Profound Illumination.
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At that time also, the noble Lord Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva and Mahasattva, in the practice of the profound Perfection of Wisdom looked down; he beheld but five skandhas and that in their own-being they were empty.
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[Sariputra’s question]
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Then, through the inspiration of the Buddha, the elder Sariputra said to the noble Lord Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva and Mahasattva, “How should any son of good family train who wishes to engage in the practice of the profound Perfection of Wisdom?”
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[Avalokiteshvara’s Answer]
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[A. Answer for those of inferior mental capacity: the five Mahayana Paths]
[A.1 Accumulation and preparation paths:]
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And the noble Lord Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva and Mahasattva, spoke to the elder Sariputra as follows:
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“Sariputra, any son or daughter of good family who wishes to engage in the practice of the profound Perfection of Wisdom should look upon it thus: he (or she) beholds but five skandhas and that in their own-being, they are empty.
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[A2. Detailed explanation of the accumulation and preparation paths]
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“Form is emptiness, (i)
emptiness is form (ii)
Emptiness does not differ from form,
and form does not differ from emptiness. (iii & iv)
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Likewise, feelings, recognition, volitions and consciousnesses are empty.
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[A.3 The Path of Vision]
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“So, Sariputra, all dharmas are emptiness,
lacking differentiating marks;
they are not produced nor stopped,
not defiled and not immaculate,
not deficient and not complete.
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[A.4 The Path of Meditation]
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“Therefore, Sariputra,
in emptiness there is no form, no feeling, no recognition,
no volition, no consciousness;
no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind;
no visible form, no sound, no smell no taste, no tangible, no mental object;
no eye-element, etc., up to no mind-element, and no mental-consciousness element;
no ignorance and no extinction of ignorance, etc.,
up to no aging and death and no extinction of aging and death;
likewise there is no Suffering, Origin, Cessation or Path,
no wisdom-knowledge,
no attainment and no non-attainment.
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[A.54 The Path of no more study]
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“Therefore, Sariputra, because there is no attainment, Bodhisattvas abide relying on the Perfection of Wisdom, without obscuration of thought, and so are unafraid. Transcending perverted views, they attain the end, Nirvana.(i.e. It is by resort to the dharma of non-abiding that the bodhisattva, mahasattva abides in the prajna paramita.
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“All Buddhas existing in the three times, relying on the Perfection of Wisdom, fully awaken to the highest, perfect Enlightenment.(i.e. When one achieves buddhahood, “prajna paramita” changes in name to “sarvaj~naa” (omniscience).)
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[B. Answer for those of superior mental capacity: the mantra]
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“Therefore, one should know that the mantra of the Prajnaparamita is the mantra of great knowledge, the highest mantra, the unequalled mantra, the mantra which allays all suffering, the Truth, since it has nothing wrong. The mantra of the Prajnaparamita is proclaimed:
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TAYATA OM GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SOHA
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[C. Exhortation to practice the perfection of wisdom]
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“In this way, Sariputra, should a Bodhisattva and Mahasattva train in the profound Perfection of Wisdom.”
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[The Buddha approves the answers]
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Then the Lord rose from that concentration and commended the noble Lord Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva and Mahasattva, saying
“Well done, well done, oh son of good family! So it is, oh son of good family, so it is.
Just as you have taught, should the profound Perfection of Wisdom be practiced and all the Tathagatas will rejoice.”
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[The disciples rejoice]
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When the Lord had uttered this, the elder Sariputra, the noble Lord Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva and Mahasattva, and all the people present, including the devas, human beings, asuras and gandharvas were delighted and applauded the Lord’s speech.
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(This completes the Arya Bhagavati Prajnaparamita Hrdaya Sutram.)
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[End]